Former President Donald Trump said Wednesday he will not sign the loyalty pledge required by the Republican National Committee (RNC) for candidates to participate in the first primary debate.
“I wouldn’t sign the pledge. Why would I sign a pledge if there are people on there that I wouldn’t have. I wouldn’t have certain people as somebody that I would endorse,” Trump told Eric Bolling on Newsmax, declining to specify who he would not endorse.
The RNC has said for candidates to participate in the first primary debate they must sign a pledge stating that they will support the eventual party nominee in 2024.
Trump, however, has repeatedly indicated that he may skip the debate scheduled for Aug. 23 in Milwaukee. He has pointed to his significant lead in primary polls and questioned why he should participate and allow other candidates to attack him in an attempt to garner more traction in the race.
The former president told Bolling on Wednesday that he would announce next week whether he will attend the debate.
“I’ve already decided, and I’ll be announcing something next week,” Trump said.
“I haven’t totally ruled it out,” he added.
This is not the first time Trump has shrugged at the RNC’s push for primary candidates to rally behind the eventual nominee. During a 2015 primary debate, Trump was the lone candidate on stage not to raise his hand to indicate he would back whoever was atop the ticket.
Later in the process, however, Trump did eventually sign a loyalty pledge for the party.
Other GOP candidates have criticized the requirement, questioning how enforceable it is.
“I’m going to take the pledge just as seriously as Donald Trump took it in 2016,” former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) told CNN last month.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who is running in second place behind Trump in most polls, signed the loyalty pledge earlier Wednesday.